Taiwan’s scooter and motorcycle innovations on display via Online Showcase
“The Oscars” of Taiwanese manufacturing and innovation companies in powersports showcased their latest R&D technologies on Thursday during the Taiwan Excellence Scooter Industry Online Showcase.
Hosted by TAITRA, Taiwan’s economic development council in the U.S., the livestream event brought together four winners of the 2020 Taiwan Excellence Awards for their design and engineering expertise in the motorcycle and scooter segments. It’s a reaffirmation that Taiwanese companies remain at the forefront of providing high-level technology and vehicle options.
AEON electric scooters and ATV
AEON MOTOR CO., LTD. revealed its latest Ai-1 Sport ABS and Ai-3 Comfort+/ Ai-3 Comfort smart electric scooters. The self-developed CROXERA Smart Dashboard has a revolutionary turn-by-turn navigation system and specialized vehicle information integration system. It features rider-enabled hotkeys for navigation. When the battery is low, auto navigation can automatically direct the route to the nearest battery-swapping station.
Sales manager Finn Linn noted that Polaris and Yamaha are among the 22-year-old company’s long-term partners. In addition to ODM (original design manufacturer) capabilities, the company also manufactures its own lineup of scooters, ATVs, UTVs and EVs. All products are made entirely in Taiwan.
Powered by the Taiwanese-leading Gogoro battery swapping platform, the Ai-1 Sport ABS is powered by a 7.6kW water cooled motor with a top speed of 92 kph (57 mph). A reverse function allows for easy maneuverability while entering and exiting parking spaces. It’s equipped with Bosch ABS and has a 14-inch aluminum wheel on the front and 13 inches at the rear. The LED front lights meet the highest Class D European standard. Under the seat, riders will plenty of storage in addition to a USB power outlet and a small light.
The Ai-3 electric scooter, meanwhile, is the smaller sibling to the Ai-3, powered by a 6.4kW water-cooled motor from Gogoro. The lower seat height comes with 12-inch tires on both the front and rear.
Finn also showcased that beyond ODM capabilities, AEON also manufactures vehicles under their own branding, including the new Crossland 600 4×4 EPS utility ATV. The 2-up Crossland is powered by a 565cc liquid-cooled engine and has 14-inch aluminum wheels. Double wishbone A-arm suspension in the front and IRS in the back are also part of the package. A winch with 500 pounds of pulling force is included as well.
One of AEON’s newest innovations is its CROXERA intelligent dashboard. Linn says focusing on the user experience with innovative designs and applications developed by AEON’s R&D department will provide additional benefits to the rider. A voice-activated vehicle starting function is “just like a movie character,” Linn added.
Linn says the company plans to incorporate CROXERA technology into all of its vehicles, not just EVs. For example, youth ATVs could have a function that allows parents to set a specified maximum speed or range of use.
G PRO forged wheel, premium sprockets
Giant Protech Co., Ltd., a firm dedicated to producing high-precision motorcycle wheels, launched its patented two-piece forged wheels and light weight sprockets. Two-piece wheel rims can be divided into “wheel rim” and “hub” by separating R&D. This two-piece design enhances selectivity for different motorcycle types.
Jose Mejia, Business Development Manager for G PRO, noted that the company has its origins in CNC manufacturing of high precision motorcycle and auto parts for Japanese and German brands. The company’s own designs have set new standards in the motorsports industry. G PRO strives for innovation, with all of its products focused on quality, safety, functionality and appearance, Mejia said.
Using the advancements of 3D-modeling simulation, G PRO engineers have created a lightweight yet strong wheel milled from the highest quality aerospace grade 6061 forged titanium. The two-piece assembly of a rim and a hub is designed to improve handling performance, increasing dynamics, cornering response and acceleration.
The premium sprockets are G PRO’s latest innovation and a game-changer in the new generation of drivetrains for motorcycles and chain-driven vehicles. Made of Swiss aluminum grade 1775, the G PRO sprockets are designed to ride smoother not only due to their ultra-light weight, but because of the patented self-cleaning groove pattern featuring an exclusive coating that reduces the friction with the chain, easily removing the excess dust and debris.
G PRO sprockets continue to gain popularity among professional riders that are in the top of their categories, Mejia added.
Aluminum washers and titanium screws in a variety of colors were also part of the G PRO showcase, along with its aluminum hub and front and rear titanium axles.
“G PRO is about improving the rider experience and optimizing the motorcycle or scooter’s performance on the road or race track,” Mejia said.
G PRO also produces aftermarket wheels and sprockets for Gogoro Taiwan electric scooters.
AM roller chains
A Man Power Transmission Co., Ltd. has expanded its worldwide businesses by manufacturing motorcycle and industrial roller chains. The High-Density Plasma Ceramic Coating Technology has excellent anti-scratch characteristics, abrasion resistance and corrosion protection. Additionally, the color can be adjusted to meet customer’s demands and various applications. Germany’s highly respected Red Dot Award has also recognized their innovative design with an award.
The company, founded in 1977, has roller chains that have been utilized in numerous applications across the globe, including motorcycle, agricultural equipment, escalators, conveyors, forklifts and fitness equipment.
Leon Hsiao, AM Sales Manager, reports that A Man has consistently upgraded its equipment and expanded manufacturing capacity to fulfill the company’s ambition to be a preeminent international chain supplier. Five factories around the world have specialized production lines. Among the A Man global clients are Subaru, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kymco, SYM, Honda, ShinMaywa and John Deere.
In 2018, AM made a major breakthrough by developing the most advanced coating technology, called High-Density Plasma Ceramic Coating. Unlike other chains that are likely to fade or discolor due to frequent use, the High-Density Plasma Ceramic Coating has proven to increase the durability of the color and provide more vivid color choices. Compared to an electroplated chain, the ceramic coating technology increases rust resistance by 50 percent. It also increases scratch and wear resistance by 200 percent. “It is highly praised by our distributors and customers,” Hsiao said. “More important, unlike a traditional coating that can severely damage the environment if not properly managed, our new technology adopts an absolute 0 pollution coating process.”
Purple and gold chains and a rainbow-colored chain were highlighted as the only products of their kind on the market.
Hsiao also revealed the AM Environmentally Friendly Sealed Chain, with an innovative outer plate design to replace the rubber seal ring. It’s designed to effectively prevent dust from going into the chain and reduces wear on the bearing. The outer plate convex flange contacts with convex on the bushing maintains lubrication on the inside and keeps dust from going in.
The comprehensive structure of the AM Sealed Chain provides innovative structure wear resistance, coating protection, smooth operation/decreased noise and decreased environmental waste. It also provides excellent anti-rust qualities.
PGO TIGRA 200 scooter
Motive Power Industry Co., Ltd., known by its PGO brand, unveiled its TIGRA 200 scooter. It features their MMI (Man-Machine Interface) LCD speedometer, showing time, mileage, fuel level, RPM and ECU information.
PGO Sales Manager Paul Chen reports that the company’s 50-year-old manufacturing expertise includes 2- and 3-wheel vehicles in addition to electric scooters. The company has several dozen distributors throughout the world, including Genuine Scooter Co. in the U.S.
With the launch of the Tigra 200, PGO becomes the first company to use a DOHC water-cooled engine in a small displacement scooter in Taiwan. The dual overhead camshaft engine includes many elements of a heavy motorcycle engine, including balanced shaft, oil jet cooling, ceramic coating cylinder, flat bearing, MIT modular sensor and a forged piston. Max power is 19.7ps/8500 rpm and max torque is 17.5 N-m/7500 rpm, according to Chen. It generates 16.5 hp.
The Tigra 200 features a multi-link suspension, Bosch ABS 10 braking system and a more rigid frame. PGO also is the first company to adopt the idle Stop & Go technology. A polar bear image saying “thank you” appears on the speedometer to denote the environmentally friendly status.
PGO’s testing is both impressive and thorough:
- 20,000 km durability road test
- Engine dyno full power 200 hours
- Dyno 6,000 km full power
- High altitude
- High and low temperature
- Rain test of 6 hours for 3 days
Of course, PGO’s top-selling J-BUBU 115cc scooter, modeled after the Vespa, also got some time in the showcase spotlight, alongside the Alpha Max 125. The J-BUBU is favored by PGO’s female customers, with the CNC levers, aluminum handlebars and sporty speedometer on the 125 being more attractive to the male buyer, Chen said. The BON-125 is the first model with the idle Stop & Go system.
With all of these innovations, PGO can now claim 18 years in a row of having been selected for a Taiwan Excellence Award.
Simon Wong, Executive Vice President of TAITRA, welcomed the online attendees to the Taiwan Excellence showcase, noting his appreciation for the online interaction in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, which has been successfully managed in Taiwan despite the country’s 23 million population. With output of $3.5 billion in 2019 in the scooter segment, Taiwan remains one of the key global countries in terms of production. More than 1 million scooters are produced annually in Taiwan.
View a recording of the presentation here:
— Dave McMahon, editor, dmcmahon @ powersportsbusiness.com
